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(No Model.)

B. W. SMITH. ELECTRIC WIRE LOCK AND SUPPORT.

Patented June 11, 1895.

r onms' Pmm no, mow-urns" WASPIINGT .Uwrrnn STATES PATENT Oberon.

DANIEL W. SMITH, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF TWO-THIRDS TO ALFRED BEVIS AND CHARLES H. LONGSTRETH, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC-WIRE LOOK-AND SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 541,019, dated. June 11, 1895.

Application filed September 10,1894- Scrial No. 522,558. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DANIEL W. SMITH, of the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-Wire Locks and Supports, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to an improved electric wire-lock and support, and consists in the novel construction,- combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter specified and claimed.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved device of the class above mentioned, which may be used as a trolley wire hanger in the construction of electric railways and as a wire clamp, bracket or support in the electric wiring of buildings, and which may be attached to and detached from a wire by revoluble movement without the use of screws or bolts, and which shall be very simple, cheap and eflicient.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a- Fig. 5 is a sectional side elevation of a portion of my invention in the form of a trolleywire hanger. Fig. 6 is a detail View, in perspective, of one end of the device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a plan view of a portion of a trolley-wire and its guy-wire, illustrating the manner of attaching my improved clamps or supports thereto. Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the devices in a locked position. Fig. 9 is aperspeetive view of a modification.

1' indicates my improved clamp 01' hanger, which may be made of any suitable material, but preferably of metal if it be used as a trolley-wire hanger. It consists of a suitable body of material having a length in excess of its transverse dimensions and provided in one edge, preferably its upper edge, at a point about midway of its length with a lateral recess 2, which extends from its edge inward a suitable distance. Formed in one side of the body is a groove 3 which extends obliquely from one end thereof to said lateral recess 2,

and formed in the opposite side of said body is a similargroove 3 which extends obliquely from the opposite end of said body to the said lateral recess. These side-grooves are curved or bowed downward from the center to one end of the clamp.

If the device be used as a trolley wire hanger, its upper and lower sides or edges should be rounded.

At each end of the device the grooves 3 are curved more abruptly downward, and are overhung by a lug or projection 4 which securely retains the wire in said grooves at that point during use. In using the device as a trolley wirehanger, it is preferably surmounted by a smaller device 5 of substantially the same construction, except that its body is rectangular in contour and-pivotally secured to the hanger 1 by means of QHSCI'OW or bolt 6, passed through a lateral enlargement of the recess 2. I

If the hanger 1 be made of metal, the part passed, so that the latter engages a boss or enlargement 8 formed about centrally of the length of the hanger 1 upon the upper side thereof, and so that the head of said screw is located in said lateral enlargement below but out of contact with the overlying crossing guy-wire 9.

The grooves 3 in the device 5 are preferably also arched upward, as shown in Fig. 3, as I have found that by so curving said grooves, the guy-wire 9 will thereby be more securely clamped and less liable to slip through said grooves when longitudinal strain is applied to said wire, or to said device.

In Fig. 9 I have shown a device 5 circular in plan view and with the grooves 3 tapered from the lateral recess 2 to their opposite ends, forming opposite inclined clampingpaws so that when the guy-wire 9 is placed in the lateral recess 2 and the device 5 turned in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 9, the inclined walls of said grooves will bite or too tion until the device be forcibly turned in a reverse direction. This operation substantiallyapplies also to the device shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 5.

When it is desired to secure the hanger 1 upon the wire 10, said wire is first made to engage the lateral recess 2, as shown in Fig. 7 with the body lat a right angle to said wire and then said body is turned until it occupies the position in which it is shown in Fig. 8; that is, until it lies parallel with said wire, which operation will cause said wire to engage in the side grooves 3 of said body and engage beneath the lugs or projections t at each end thereof, and said wire and body will be securely locked together against relative movement in any direction and without the use of bolts or screws, and also without the use of solder or any other fastening, until the body is turned in a reverse direction.

My improved clamp or hanger may be used in securing wires in any desired location.

\Vhat I claim is 1. The improved wire-clamp, comprising a body of material having a transverse recess at a point about midway of its length, and grooves formed in each side of said body curved or bowed downward and together extending continuously from one end of said body to the opposite end thereof, said sidegrooves being curved-abruptly downward at each end of said body, and being overhung thereat by a lug or projection, substantially as herein specified.

2. Asnitable trolley-wire hanger, in combination with the herein described guy-wire clamp, having the transverse recess in its upper side, a lateral enlargement of said recess, downwardly curved side-grooves intersecting said recess at their inner ends, and together extending continuously from end to end of said clamp, and a suitable pivot passing through said lateral enlargement of said recess and engaging said trolley-wire hanger, so that the head of said pivot will be located below but out of contact with the overlying guy-wire, substantially as herein specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL NV. SMITH.

\Vitnesses:

E. E. LoNoAN, Mann GRIFFIN. 

